Process for coloring motion-picture films



Dec. 9, 1924 1,518,946

L.. E. TAYLOR l PROCESS FOR COLORING MOTION PICTURE FILMS Filed March' 26, lQQA Patented- Dec. 9,Y 1924.

l istante UNITED sTATEs PATEN'roFFICnf LORENE. TAYLOR, F LOS NGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR T0 FAMOUS PLAYERS- `LASKY CORPORATION, OF YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

PROCESS FOR COLORING- MOTION-PICTURE FILMS.

Application filed March 2e, 1924. 'serial no. 701,976.

' To all whom 'it may Concern.'

Be it known that I, LOREN E. TAYLOR, a citizen of the United States, and a resi'- dent of Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angelesand State of Californa, have invented new and useful Improvements in Processes .for Coloring Motion-Picture Films, of which the following is'a full, clear, and exact disclosure..v

This inveniton relates generally to processes for colorin motion picture films and particularly to t e application of coloring matter, such as aniline dyes and lthe like, directly to the finished positive prints, so they may be projected in colors, in any standard projector, without the aid of colo filters or any special attachments.

The present process is closel allied with the invention covered by nited States Letters .Patent No. 1,303,837, granted May 13, 1919, wherein coloring matter is applied directly to finished positive prints by subi' made from prints of the original negative. and positive, thereby simplifying and econ-` jecting them to a pressurable contact with similar films carrying color matter; two being for this purpose, rolled in4 facialcontact for a sufficient length of time to permit. absorption of coloring matter by one from the other, while at the same time a longitudinal tension is exerted upon leach of the films, independently, to bring them into registering dimensions during their mobile contact. n

Specifically, the instant case deals with the production of the color carrying filmshereinafter termed print plates graphicall the' 'foremost object being to simplify the production-of these plates to a-point of commercial practicability andeconomy.

In the production of print plates of this character, while they may be produced in other ways, it is preferable that they be prints or facsimiles of the original negative `or positive to be colored, in order that the several views or images therein may serve as bases for the application of the coloring matter, 'whichl will more yorless perfectly register with thev corresponding portions of similar views of the finished positive. Therefore, as will be more fully hereinafter explained, the print plat/ in this case are omizin production.

In t e accompanviner drawings I have -phototherefrom by printingback from apositive.

print;

2 is a positive print taken from the orlgmal negative u* Fig. 3 is a View corresponding 'to the view shown in Fig. 1 after treatment according to my process; and l F ig. 4 is a View corresponding to that shown in Fig. 2 after similar treatment.

As the original negative, produced in the camera, is ordinarily preserved, the viewl shown in Fig. '1 will. be deemed to be a View taken from a negative produced by printing back from a positive, such as shown in Fig. 2, but which corresponds to the original negative. Also the view of the positive ilm,1shown in Fig.,2, will be deemed to be a print taken from the original negativev and corresponding to the finished poss itive to be. colored. In other words, the view shown in Fig. l is identical with the original negative, andA the view shown in Fig. 2 identical with the finished positive to -be colored. However, the original neg'- ative may be used for the purposes of this process, 1f desired. i

The first step in my process is the production of an ordinary negative, by exposure in a camera of an orthochromatic film;

that is, a film that is predominantly sensitiveto the blue end of the spectrum and predominantly insensitive tothe red. When such a negative is'developed the blue will show relatively opaque; green shows more in half tone; yellow and pink still more in half tone and red practically clear.

Referring now to Fig. 1, for purposes of illustration, this view represents a red flower 10 having green foliage llfsetting in a brickV red pot 12; the whole sitting upon ,a table over which is thrown a redcover 13. The numerals 14 designate'bl'ue curtains hanging infront of a window 15,

and in front of which the flower and table light is passing.

AAfter exposure of an orthochromatic fihn to the above described mihiect. when Ap.-

veloped, the exposed area of the window 1 5,

i through which the white light is passing,

will be opaque or lsubstantiall black; the curtains 14 being blue, to whic vthe lm. is predominantly sensitive, will be very dark but not opa ue; the areas covered by the iower 10an table cover 13, will be clear, as such colors have little or no effect upon the lilm. The shrubbery 11 will be practically in halftone while the pot 12 will be more in half tone or only slightly darker vthan the areas 10 and 15.l The negative print,just1described, will ordinarily be produced by printing back from the positive print shown in Fig. 2; but'for clarity of escription it may be assumed that the neg- `ative'shown in Fig. 1 is first produced ,and

that shown` in Fig. 2 produced by printing therefrom.

After development o f the negative shown in Fig. 1, a positive print, as shown in Fig. 2, is taken therefrom. In this positive print the gelatnous coating over the area 15, nothaving been acted upon by light is removed 4 in the developin process, leaving a surface.

consisting ofl on y the clear celluloid' base. The curtains 14 will show in a light half tone; While the flower 10 and table cover 13 will be black or substantially opaque. The shrubbery 11 will be in substantially the same half tone as in the negative; While the pot'12 will be in half tone intermediatc'the toneof the shrubbery 11 and the cover 13.

Itis to be understood in connection with the foregoin description that various photographlc'va ues will be shown in the di iferent portions of such a View, such as high lights in the Hower 10, table cover 13 and curtains 14; and that theseprints will show the 'different photographic .values in true proportions.

After production of the negative and posiv tive prints, as above stated, they are both ir'nmersed in a chemical solution, which etches out or eats away the gelatinous coatin of the developed portions, that is, the portions acted-upon-by light, according to their different photographic values, or just in' proortion as the silver is developed and 'efl ected by exposure to light. In other words,

the more op que the surface, or the more fully the development due to exposure of li ht, the more ,thorou hly willthe etching so ution remove the ge atinous surface and leave only the clear celluloid base. The results from these steps of the processare illustrated in Figs the treatment of the ilmsillustra'ted in Figs. 1 and 2, respectively; Fig. 3 representing the etched negative print of Fig. 1, and

F1g.4. representing the etched positive of Fi v2. n Fi 3 I have represented the action of the etchmg solution uponthe film. by vertical lines, which shows that all the silver has 3 and 4, which representbeen removed from the areas-covered by the bluecurtains 14 and the window opening 15,

leaving these portions practically clear. The foliage 11 has' also been etched out until it is practically clear; while the areas covered by the flower-10 and Vtable cover 13 are left 'un-' touched as they were originally, as shown in Fig. 1. The pot 12 has been etched until it is ahalf tone just a little darker than the flower 10 and .cover 1 3. A

In Fig. -4, inasmuch as there has been no silver coating-on the area 15, after emerging from the developinof process, this surface is still of the clear ce luloid base, the same as 'in Fig. 2. The curtains 14 are shown in half tone, or more ,or less translucent; while the f .darker areas of the flower, the pot 12 and table cover 13, will bev etched away, and the foliage 11 more or less in half tone, the same as the curtains 14. Therefore, in this view, practically all that is left is the'gelatinous surface over the .areas 14 andthefarea 11.

After the aforementioned steps, the etched negative of Fig. 3, is immersed in an orange- 1e dye, or a colorcomplementary tothecolor` to which the original `was predominantly sensitive; and as practically all the gelatlnous surface remaimng thereon is that l u onthe areas '10, 12 and 13,'these areas will a sorb the dye in-V proportion to the remain- `ing photographic values. The vetched positive print, as shown in Fig. 4 is then` iimmersed in ablue g`reen dye,y or the color to 'which the original negative was redominantly sensitive, which is absorbe by lthe gelatmous surface 14 of the curtains, 'andthe that the coloring matter carried `by these print plates is upo n corresponding portions of views identical in position and size with the corresponding portions of; the finished positive.. While I have shown and described my process thus far las applied to the pr 'duction of pictures of still subjects, it is perfectly'clear that print plates of this cha-racter' may be produced of moving objectsf where they occupy successively different positions in successivel views.

After the production of the print plates, as hereinbefore described,- they are successively rolled in contact with the finished positive, by means of a machine such as disclosed 1n the above mentioned patent, or

by any othersuitable means, and the coloring matter carried thereon absorbed, in pamper proportions, by the inishedpositiw.

y finished positive l meana positive print of the original negative which is intended to be exhibited by projection.

The use of the term negative, in the foregoing description, is to be construed to mean either the original' negative produced by exosure'of a. .film in a camera, or a similar lm produced by printing back from a positive or similar print of the orig' ial negative; while the.v term positive print pertains to a print of the original negative, or facsimile thereof, to be used as a. color plate, 'as distinguished from the finished ,positive to be colored and exhibited.

What I claim is A 1.- The process of coloring motion picture films comprising producingr a negative by exposure of a film predoniinantlyj sensit-ia-'e to certain colors and predominantly insensitive to colors complementary thereto, taking a positive print therefrom, etching out those portions of the sensitized coating of the -negative containing the silver affected by exposure to light', applying coloring matter to said etched negative so that it is absorbedby those portions of its gelatinous coating not removed by etching, said color' being complementary to the color to which the negative was predominantly sensitive, and transferring said coloring matter to the positive film by bringing it into pressnrable facial contact therewith. u

2. The process of coloring motion picture films comprising producing a negative by exposure of a-film predominantly sensitive to certain colors and predominantly insensitiveto colors complementary thereto, taking a positive print therefrom, etching ont those portions of the sensitized coating vof the positive print containing the silver affected by exposure to light, applying coloring matter to said etched positive print so that it is absorbed by those ,portions of its gelatinous coating not removed by etching, said color being the Same as that to which the negative was predominantly sensitive. and transferring said coloring matter to a similar positive print of said negative by pressurableV .f a cial cont act therewith.

3. The process of' coloring motion pictnrr.l films comprising producing a negative by exposure of a film predomimtnt'ly sensitiv,I

to certain colors and predominant-ly mscns1t1ve to colors complenumtaryv thereto7 tale -ing a positive print therefrom. etchir'; ont

etched negative Vbeingconiplcmcntary to 'the Color to which it' was predominantly sensitive, and the color applied to the etched positire beingr complementary to thc color ap plied to the negative, and the transfer of the coloring matter applied to said negative and positive'to a positive print of said negative by successively bringing them into pre snrable .facial contact therewith.

4. The process of coloring motion 'picture films comprising producing a negative by exposureof a film predominantly sensitive to the blue end of the spectrum and predominantly insensitive to the red end, taking a positivelprint therefrom, etching ont these port-ions of the sensitized coatings of said negative and positive containing the silver affected by exposure' to light, in proportion to their photographic values, applying orange-red dye to the gelatinous face of the etched negative, applying blue-green dye to the gelatinous face of the etched positive. and thereafter transferring the coloringr matter from each of sa id films to a positiviprint of said negative by bringing them into pressurable facial contact therewith.

In witness that I claim the foregoing l have hereunto subscribed my name this 4th day of March, 1924.

LOREN E. TAYLOR. 

